AEGiS-LT: Some People With HIV May Not Need Drugs Forever, Study Finds

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2000. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Some People With HIV May Not Need Drugs Forever, Study Finds

Los Angles Times - Thursday, September 28, 2000
Thomas H. Maugh II, Times Medical Writer

A small number of patients stopped taking their AIDS drug cocktails and still managed to keep the virus under control, researchers report in one of the first studies to suggest that people with HIV may not have to be on medication for the rest of their lives. The study involved eight people, all of whom began taking potent AIDS drugs within six months of infection.

The volunteers were closely monitored and checked twice a week, Dr. Bruce Walker at Massachusetts General Hospital reports in today's Nature.

Five of the eight remain off the drugs. One has been off the treatment for 11 months. Two chose to resume the regimen even though their viral levels remained relatively low. A third resumed the drugs because of a sharp increase.

000928
LT000911

Copyright © 2000 - Los Angeles Times. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Los Angeles Times, Permissions, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053. http://www.latimes.com.

AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2000. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2000. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .